Another "how much does it cost to cruise" thread, but with a twist

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Hobiehobie

There are two of us, we have a 2007 Hylas 54 that we sail approx 6 months of the year then live in a house for 6 months. I took our 2017 actuals and removed all the house and car expenses and other expenses related to land living. I took full year expenses like groceries and halved them to reflect approx what we spent during the six months on the boat. We spent winter of 2017 cruising the BVI. We went to Marinas only occasionally when we needed to fix stuff, most of the time on hook, sometimes on $30 per night mooring balls, but not often (say 10% of time). We ate out one or two times a week, usually lunch. We had four sets of guests for a week each so we were catering for more than the two of us quite often, but guests also often paid for groceries, dinner, or made up for it in some other monetary way. So we had fun, but were not extravagant. We do our own maintenance most of time unless it is advanced electrical or complex engine work.

Marina and Moorings $2396 (this includes some marina time before we left for BVI in Ft Lauderdale, and some as we were putting boat to bed)
Registration and Customs $678
Laundry $200
Sat Phone, email and weather $263
Charts flags software $314
Parts/upgrades $13,736 (note this includes one time costs of approx $7000 for water maker purchase and install, $1800 Sat Phone purchase, but note, in our experience most years there are other one time purchases)
Insurance for year $7,000
Fuel and CNG $2115
Haul out and Storage $5036 (includes extra for hurricane cradle and some of the off season yard storage costs incurred in 2017)
Eating/drinking out $3000
Liquor $2000
Healthcare $100
Groceries $5,000
Gifts $1000
Clothes $500
Cell phone (2) $900

Taking a monthly average is not logical as some of these expenses related to the boat are annual expenses, but it comes to $7450 per month for the six months we are sailing.

Happy to describe what drives some of these numbers to anyone that is interested.

Thanks for the not sugar coated and unvarnished accounting of expenses. I hope it helps the dreamers not embark on the impossible dream.

[nuru05]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Thanks for the not sugar coated and unvarnished accounting of expenses. I hope it helps the dreamers not embark on the impossible dream.

Well if history has taught me anything all I have to do is set off with $50 in my pocket and a barely sea worthy boat. Then I sink the boat and someone will give me a better one.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by nuru05

Well if history has taught me anything all I have to do is set off with $50 in my pocket and a barely sea worthy boat. Then I sink the boat and someone will give me a better one.

Huh? Have at it!

[nuru05]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Huh? Have at it!

Couple whose dream boat sank gets a bigger, better boat for a buck

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by wesevans

How much it cost depends on life stile, location, size of boat (maintenance, dockage, insurance). When considering docking a month is often cheaper than a week as a transient. Anchoring vs mooring vs marina some areas anchoring is discouraged.

Exactly
Might have a $40,000 40ft wharram
Might have a $400,000 40ft schionning

Might pay $1000/mth in marina fees as they would be here
Or nothing to anchor like we do.

And and and

Now how long is that piece of string again?

[dougweibel]

We have found that the two biggest drivers to our cruising costs have been the amount of time spent at marinas and the amount of eating out at nicer restaurants. If you avoid those two your expenses will be very different than if you frequently indulge in those two. Location also has a huge effect on those two costs.

[maplemale]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Calculate what it costs to live on land then double it..

Then you have people like us who've lived on < $30k a year (family of 4) and some years > $100k in actual spending. I guess the formula might be true for "normal" people. But, what's "normal" about deciding to live on a 40 floating home?


I remember some conversations 15 years ago with co-workers when we decided we were transferring to corporate headquarters from BFE Montana to LA. Oh, just be aware you need another 40% income increase. You're going to spend so much more money in the city! Ya sure, if we wanted country club memberships, new cars, eating out all the time, run of the mill working services etc. Instead we found the truth... where a lot of people exist, you can live ridiculously cheap! So many things available used. So many options and just avoid the expensive lifestyle. This is part of the reason we're planning on the east coast and Caribbean instead of the PNW where we have prior experience. There are a lot more people... there are a lot of cheap used options for pretty much everything and there are a lot more services/individuals to choose from.


We're planning on setting out with between $35k-$40k a year net rental income (approx $130k gross) here in the next few months. That's a very conservative estimate. One of our rentals is a vacation rental we currently live in 6 months out of the year (so it will have another 6 months of income but in the slow season). We've also had some rentals with massive repairs in recent years. But, $35k seems like the minimum we can count on in the worst case scenario.

[hellosailor]

Comfortable? Does the OP have any idea of how hard it can be to find a marina that takes cats, and serves PRIME beef instead of the local mystery meat? Or, has a decent wine cavern and selection of acceptable champagnes?

And then of course, one has to factor in the depreciation costs and brokerage fees for selling off the used cat and replacing it within something newer and more stylish every three years or so.

I don't think five grand a month is going to cut it. That's just slumming.

[Dolphin460]

I have spent and average of $25,000 each year for the last 10 years cruising about 8 months each year. That is everything boat and nothing personal like food, travel to and from the boat, clothes, etc. Just up grades, repairs, winter mooring about four months, insurance, fuel, sails, etc. I only buy the best for my boat and never let a repair go un-repaired. My cat is 14 meters and all of my time has been spent in the Med. I have no loan on my boat. Hope this helps.

[Dolphin460]

Thought I might add that our winter mooring cost us less than 2,000 euros for six months (Nov thru Apr). We have found that Sicily is the best and least expensive place to moor (Marina di Ragusa). The Med is a perfect place to cruise with a cat. Lots of good safe anchorages and plenty of interesting places to visit. We just finished our 10 year cruising in the Med and have no interest in moving on. Too much we still have-not seen.

[Dolphin460]

I forgot to add that my cost includes an every year haulout (paint, zincs, etc).

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Dolphin460

I forgot to add that my cost includes an every year haulout (paint, zincs, etc).

Why every year?
Surely being a cat you can keep it pretty clean with a hard antifoul and monthly bottom rub and push it out to two years plus?

[Nikki S]

What part of the world?

how much maintenance does your boat need?

is it just you, or are you a couple or a family?

I reckon, where there is a will there is a way. you find comfortable people out there on all kinds of budgets. and you notice that expenses often just expand to the same size as your income/wallet.

Before we bought a boat we read about a couple living on a 55ft mono on $26,000 NZ dollars per year in NZ, including boat haul outs and all maintenance, and they kept a 50K kitty for emergencies that they hadn't had to use in 6 years.

We left with that in mind, but we were 4 onboard, so decided 40,000 per year would be good, plus emergency kitty. (none of that includes the boat itself, and the davits, solar and water-maker and new batteries that we added to her).
We feel we live comfortably because we motor-sail when we want to go faster, go to marina's about 7/28 nights, eat well and eat out.... but
I can't imagine paying someone else to do all the maintenance, though.....that could cost an arm and a leg in some places. You're going to be more comfortable if you can do your own engine maintenance, hull-cleaning, anti-fouling, winch & head servicing, fit new skins to the through-hulls etc because some things you will have peace of mind that it's done well and others you might need to do while underway or out of the way.

[chuckr]

We have been out 10 years going on 11 this summer -


Some of will depend on where you sail

we put out our cost data every year - we sail a 40' Jeanneau DS40 and do not necessarily skimp but do watch as we do this on Social Security until this year when we are doing major work on SoulMates including an engine overhaul, all new thru hulls, new genny among other things

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ta-197309.html

[Sojourner]

I'm always amazed by this question, just like when my old dad asks the waiter, what should I order? Ummmmmm....... You know your current needs best. You like sushi or cooking lentils? You like clubs and champers or coffee shops and long walks on beaches? You like entertaining 30 friends or reading in a hammock? You good with a dinghy? How old is that thing anyway? How old is your rigging? Sails? Engine hours? Can you dive to scrub your hull, or wanna pay someone else to do it? I mean, it isn't rocket science.... Your needs on land are gonna be roughly congruent, although you might find more free things to enjoy on the water (swimming, loafing around, whatever) than living in a city.... I sure do. But the question is one only you can wrap your head around.